1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to indicating devices and methods, and in particular, to placing reminders on medicine containers.
2. Description of Related Art
People have difficulty remembering when to administer or self-administer a medicine. People often forget whether they have taken the day's daily dosage, especially if the dose is not taken at a regular time of day. Similar difficulties arise when doses must be taken several times a day on a predetermined schedule. These difficulties are greatly increased when several different medications must be taken on different schedules. Then one must remember not only the scheduled times, but which one of several medications must be taken at each time.
A very common approach to solving this scheduling problem is incorporating a mechanical scheduling device into a medicine container. One of the drawbacks of the known devices is their tendency to make the medicine container top-heavy and thus unstable. Another disadvantage is the tendency to inadvertently change the setting of the indicating device when handling or opening the medicine container.
Moreover, these known devices have been incorporated in or near a child-proof cap where relatively high forces must be applied by hand. Accordingly, these scheduling devices can be damaged by the high forces associated with opening a child-proof cap. These devices also tend to interfere with or obstruct the normal operation of the child-proof cap. This interference is especially problematical for persons with poor hand strength or coordination and therefore may have difficulty opening a medicine container, with or without a child-proof cap, if the scheduling device provides any kind of obstruction or interference.
In FIGS. 1–2 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,912 a disk with a window is connected by its axle to a cap. Rotating the disk exposes markings on the cap to indicate the time of the last or next dose. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3–4 a sleeve has a window that exposes time markings on the side of cap for the same purpose.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,713 a cover can rotate about a stub to expose markings on an underlying cap. In FIGS. 4–6, a shell can rotate around a cap so that a window can expose markings on the cap.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,129 an outer housing connects through a ratchet mechanism to a threaded cap. The housing can be rotated clockwise to tighten the cap. Overtightening will cause the ratchet mechanism to slip so that a window will move relative to the markings on the cap and thereby display updated reminders regarding the medication in the container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,224 a ring with time markings can be rotated about the neck of a medicine container to align with a pointer to indicate the last time a medicine was taken. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,438.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,180 a wire loop acting as a pointer is wrapped around the neck of a medicine container to point to time markings on a band encircling the container. Also a cap is marked with days of the week and is covered by a shell having an opening. Rotation of the shell can expose the week markings.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,163 a collar with time markings fits around a medicine container marked with an arrow. The collar can be rotated to indicate when a dose was last taken.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,804 a disk is rotatably mounted in a recess atop a cap for a medicine container. The disk has two pointers at a fixed spacing for indicating the time of the last and the next dose.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,541 a ring is rotatably mounted on a central hub atop a cap for a medicine container. Again, the ring has two pointers at a fixed spacing for indicating the time of the last and the next dose.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,370 an indicator disk rotatably mounted in a central hole in a cap for a medicine bottle can point to markings on the cap to indicate the time for the next dose.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,117 a simple arrow rotatably mounted on a cap for a medicine container can be rotated to point to markings on the cap to indicate the time for the next dose.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,759 the inner threaded cap has a hub molded with a pointer. An outer shell is mounted on the hub to form a child-proof cap. If no pressure is applied the outer shell can be rotated counterclockwise to align arrow with a marking on the shell indicating the time to take the next dose.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,179 an upper pointing disk has a barrel that fits in a cavity in a threaded cap. The pointing disk can be rotated to point to markings on the underlying threaded cap to indicate either the time of the last or next dose. The pointing disk may either have an opening to expose one of the markings on the underlying cap or be transparent so that an arrow on the disk can be aligned with the visible markings on the underlying cap.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,300 a cap has an opening that can align with one of the four openings shown in the housing of FIG. 7 to allow dispensing of a pill. In some designs a ratchet allows the cap to be rotated in only one direction, so that the user first sees one of the messages marked on the housing before clearing a dispensing opening. One embodiment has a dispensing opening facing from the top and another embodiment has a dispensing opening facing to the side.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,032 a slide can be moved circumferentially to indicate the number of pills per dose.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,467 a ring or disk has seven raised elements that can fit into seven openings in a cap for a medicine bottle container. When the cap is removed the underlying raised elements can be rotated to place one of the raised elements through a specific hole in the cap that is marked with an arrow to indicate the next day when a dose is due.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,548 a cover has a window that exposes one of the markings on indicator wheel. The device has a ratchet mechanism that allows the indicator wheel to advance relative to window every time the device is removed from a medicine container. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,299,701; 4,011,829; 4,749,093; 4,782,966; 4,489,834; 5,678,712.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved technique for reminding people of when to take medication from one or more medicine containers.